New to Pathfinder. Looking for advice for a new character build. I'm looking to build a 1st level half-elf Bard (eventually duelist), but our party is in need of a skill monkey. Since this is only my second ever pathfinder character I'm looking for help.
Pathfinder Society Core Campaign character.
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So - it's an Arcane Duelist? So no bardic knowledge. (hurts your skill-monkey aspect a bit - but you're still a bard, and bards are inherently skill-monkeys)
We need to know more about your preferences.
You want to be melee based I assume? (considering duelist)
Try something along these lines
Str:10
Dex:18 (includes +2 from race)
Con:14
Int:10
Wis:10
Cha:14
(You could drop strength down to 8 to get Int up to 12, but it'd hurt your damage until you can get Fencing Grace)
Feat: Skill Focus: Performance (singing/oral - something that doesn't use up your hands based upon the versitile performance you want at level 2) / Arcane Strike (bonus from being an Arcane Duelist / Weapon Finesse (get Weapon Focus: Rapier and Fencing Grace ASAP)
Gear: Chain Shirt / Heavy shield / rapier / 5 javilins (plus other stuff such as rope/grappling hook/flint/etc)
Traits: Elven Initiative / Armor Expert (Armor Expert will let you wear a mithril breastplate eventually with no penalty even without med armor proficiency)
Skills: Whatever you want. You have quite a few. Make sure to grab diplomacy/bluff/intimidate/performance of choice. At level 2 you can retrain whatever Versitile Performance covers.
Your damage will be medicore until you grab Fencing Grace, but it'll be okay with Arcane Strike. Your level 1 AC is 20 (very respectable) so you can tank somewhat.
(If you meant the Duelist prestige class instead of Arcane Duelist archetype - avoid it. It's bad. You should stick with Arcane Duelist bard instead.)
Pathfinder Society Core Campaign
So yeah, he meant Duelist as in the PRC. Only the Core Rulebook is available to him, basically, or stuff from the core books.
I'd also advise away from Duelist unless you're really, really set on the class. Keep in mind that maintaining a bardic song is a free action, so you can start your buffing and then proceed with the spellcasting or stabbing ASAP.
Yeah, just don't take the Duelist class. Straight Bard is better.
Half-elves are good for what you want to do (skillmonkeying) due to the extra Perception and the Skill Focus feat, but Human would be REALLY good too because you get +1 skill point per level. Either is good.
In your shoes I'd probably go with a sword-and-board bard, as odd as that may sound. Having a higher STR means you don't need to worry about losing a feat to Weapon Finesse, so being a half-elf won't hurt as much. Since your focus is on being a skillmonkey, I'm drawing this character up with a positive INT score.
STATS:
STR 17 (+2 from race)
DEX 12
CON 14
INT 13
WIS 8
CHA 14
You can either strip 3 points from INT to boost STR to 18 or strip 2 points from CON to boost STR to 18. Those are optional choices, and this particular setup means your level 4 and level 8 stat boosts will both give you an immediate benefit (retroactive skill point gain and a boost to hit and to damage). If you want more DEX, you can shift the 3 INT to DEX for maximum defensive capability.
Your first feat should be Arcane Strike, a scaling damage booster from the core rulebook. It works great for melee bards.
Your starting gear with 150 gold will probably include a Morningstar (for bludgeoning), a Longsword and a handful (five) of javelins (because you can wield them with a shield) at level 1. That leaves you with 122 gold. Adding a chain shirt and a heavy wooden shield gives you 6 AC (for a total of 17 with your DEX), leaving you with 15g. That's not a lot to purchase other items with, but at least you start with clothes for free. You may consider picking up a Longspear for times when reach would be valuable (bringing your wealth down to 10g).
(Prices drawn from here.)
You have max HP at level 1. Since you're a skillmonkey, you're putting your favored class bonus into skills, meaning you have a d8+1 HP at level 1, or 9 HP. 9 HP and 17 AC means you can frontline if you have to, but you aren't the best at it.
You can deal 1d8+4 damage with your longsword or morningstar (+3 from STR, +1 from Arcane Strike). If you wanted to wield the weapon in two hands, it'd deal 1d8+5 damage instead, but your AC would drop to 15. All of this is before factoring in your Inspire Courage performance, which improves damage by 1 and attack by 1. So, assuming you're one-handing a weapon and a shield, you'll be dealing 1d8+5 damage and have a +4 attack bonus while giving your allies a +1 attack and damage bonus. Not a bad setup at all for a level 1 character.
Note: If you get 18 STR at level one instead of 17, your damage potential actually goes up a fair bit, as does your to-hit. This is a good case for lowering INT if you're content with 7 Skill Points per level.
You have a solid amount of skill points. Your +2 perception, 8 skill points (6 bard, 1 favored, 1 INT) per level and your Skill Focus feat all give you a considerable boost to being a skillmonkey. You can dump points into two different Performances and avoid social skills so that when Versatile Performance kicks in at level 2 you get solid social skills for half the cost. Perform: Oratory and Perform: Sing are good choices for your first one, as if Perform: Comedy. (I'd probably pick Oratory or Comedy, slap my Skill Focus onto the one I pick, and get the other at a later level for maximum benefit. Oh, and when it comes time to pick a third Versatile Performance, I'd pick Perform: Dance.)
Getting 3 ranks in Acrobatics is something I would consider doing ASAP because that gives you a +1 AC when fighting defensively... and you don't exactly have a high AC. Plus, Acrobatics is useful for certain skill challenges and for maneuvering around a battlefield.
Knowledges will be a piece of cake for you if you train a few of them. You'll also be perfectly fine with STR skills if your group needs someone to Climb or Swim; you've got the high Strength for it and the skill points to spare, potentially.
Finally, to make yourself even more desirable to your party at level one, I'd pick up Cure Light Wounds as one of my spells known. You are now a decent skillmonkey with high damage, decent AC, healing and buffs. You're pretty desirable for a core character.
Oh, and you can always increase CHA at level 12 if you want to be able to cast 5th level spells past 12. Most PFS characters stop at level 12 from what I know, but special events can take you past that bar.
It helps to plan out your skills with the Versatile Performance ability in mind. For example if you intend to have a high Perform (Sing) skill it makes sense to not put any ranks into Bluff or Sense Motive, because at level 2 you use your Perform (Sing) bonus when rolling those skills.